This study is for people with chronic low back pain who may also be feeling discouraged, frustrated, or depressed. This study is testing a new therapy that is designed to specifically help these patients foster a better self-image. We hope this therapy will help them feel less discouraged and depressed and, possibly, even help reduce their stress enough that they may feel less pain.

12 sessions of spine and muscle education including life style changes and medical treatments.

Placebo Comparator: 3

Standard Care

Other: Standard Care

Study participants continue with their usual medical care, no changes.

Detailed Description:

Patients with chronic low back pain cope with numerous life challenges, including the ability to work and decrements in physical and emotional well being. These changes impact the patients' abilities to pursue and achieve not only important personal and professional goals, but also make it difficult to maintain one's general standards of quality of daily life with personal tasks.

This study aims to address the feelings and attitudes associated with these shortfalls which frequently result in depression.

Eligible participants have been undergoing treatment for low back pain and have been identified as depressed. Study participants are randomized into one of three arms:

Self System Therapy-Patients receive 12 sessions (90 Min) one-on-one with a specialized treatment regimen designed to help patients foster a better self-image and re-evaluate their life's goals in light of their new physical limitations. Modifications in goal unavailability, goal activation, and goal accomplishments are key components in this therapy delivered by a therapist.

Low Back Pain Education-Patients receive 12 sessions (90 min) of detailed information about chronic low back pain, its causes and varied treatments, delivered by a research nurse.

Standard Care-Patients receive their routine medical care and serve as a treatment control group. They receive the same follow up evaluations as the other two groups.

Measures- Before each of the 4 evaluations, 30 day diaries are completed which measure daily pain coping, daily life events, daily mood and unpleasantness, and daily goal setting and accomplishments.

Patients are evaluated at 4 times, before treatment, after treatment, and at a 6 month and 12 month intervals. An interview version of the Selves Questionnaire is used to measure self-discrepancies. Pain behaviors are assessed by means of structured observation involving videotaping. Other outcome measures include questionnaires for depression, psychosocial disability, physical disability, and cognitive, affective, motivational, and physiological areas of depressive symptomology.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Male and females 18 years and older

Low back pain for minimum of 6 months

DSM-IV diagnosis of major depressive disorder or dysthymia as determined by SCID interview, or meeting 18 or higher on Beck Depression Inventory.

Patients with pending litigation or in the process of seeking disability benefits.

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00672880